How to pronounce chutzpah
American English pronunciation
HOOT-spuh
- IPA
- /ˈhʊtspə/
- Syllables
- HOOT · spuh (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What chutzpah means
Bold, cheeky nerve to do what others wouldn't dare
In a sentence: She had the chutzpah to ask the famous chef for his secret recipe.
Where it comes from: It came into English in 1890–95 from Yiddish. It goes back to an older word meaning "boldness."
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